


Wild Things Run Fast

by setissma



Series: Polaris (Triad Version) [6]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-12 08:46:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9064693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/setissma/pseuds/setissma
Summary: A coda to "The Circle Game."
(And yes, yes, the names are completely on purpose. Who said I was a good person?)





	

“Shhh,” Sirius hissed, when Remy pushed the door to his bedroom open with a creak.

“Oh, come on, Aly’s reading downstairs, she knows we’re up here, Leona’s already asleep, and your parents don’t care.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m keen on waking up one of their daemons,” Sirius said, shutting the door behind him but making sure to leave it cracked.

“I mean, okay, I might back talk, but they’re practically the most reasonable people I know,” Remy said, laughing. “Even _I_ know if someone’s got a cracked door you shouldn’t bother them unless it’s an emergency, and I don’t live here. I mean – you know, I don’t live in the tower.”

“Yeah, I suppose,” Sirius said, sitting on the bed with a sigh. “Sorry. It’s been a long day. I’m jumpy.”

“Because of… me?” Remy said, sounding a little doubtful for the first time all evening.

“No!” Sirius said. “No, I mean – a little, but not like that, and – um, no. I just –“ He put his head in his hands, laughing softly. “Can I please have a do over on that?”

“Okay,” Remy said, twisting the end of her braid. “But you have to tell me if – you know. If something’s weird because of me.”

“I was nervous you might say no to going to the ball, but that’s not your _fault_ or something,” Sirius said. “Just that… asking a girl to the ball is weird and makes you nervous and you’re not just a girl and… yeah.”

“Oh, that’s all right then,” Remy said, sitting beside him. “I wasn’t sure if you meant tonight or something. Or that you were sorry you asked.”

“Are you kidding?” Sirius said, dubiously. “I’m just happy you said yes.”

“Well, of _course_ I said yes,” Remy said. “I mean. I want to go with you.”

“Dunno, you’ve been all…” Sirius gestured. “Um. I dunno. It kinda seemed like you were mad at me lately. And Pascha was mad at Tierney.”

“I told you trying to stay away was dumb,” Pascha said. “And I’m not staying away from Tierney any more either, I don’t care if it makes your stomach feel weird.”

“It makes my stomach feel weird if you’re _gone_ ,” Tierney muttered, lifting her head to make room for Pascha, who came to settle between her front paws, curling up against her chest.

“I wasn’t mad,” Remy said, tugging on a loose thread on Sirius’s quilt. “I just… it’s been complicated since I came back from France.”

“Yeah, tell me about it,” Sirius said, with a sigh, and Remy laughed.

“Aunt Dominique said something about – um –“ She paused, considering. “I said being friends with you felt weird all of a sudden, and she asked if I wanted to be more than friends, and I asked what she meant, and, you know, she hit me on the back of the head and asked if I wanted you to be my boyfriend. And, um, I think maybe I do. But I don’t know if you want that or you just want to go to the ball.”

“No,” Sirius said, relieved. “I missed you like crazy, and I’ve been going out of my head not – I mean, you don’t have to spend time with me if you don’t want, but I missed you.”

“Well, it –“ Remy sighed. “I thought maybe it’d be easier to not be around you than to be around you and just be your little sister’s friend or your godcousin or something. All the sixth year girls like you, you know.”

“Er, no, I don’t know, but I don’t really care about them liking me,” Sirius said. “And you’re not Leona’s friend or my godcousin or a fourth year or something, you’re just… you. I mean, to me. I guess you’re those other things too. But it’s not… I mean. You’re you.”

“Sirius, that’s _daft_ , it doesn’t make any sense,” Remy said. “Of course I’m me.”

“No, I know, I –“ he sighed. “I’m not very, um. Good. With girls. Everyone thinks I ought to be because, I mean, you know, my da and dad and stuff, but I never know what to say.”

“I’m not a _girl_ ,” Remy said. “I mean, I am, but this is stupid. We’ve always talked to each other. So we should still be able to talk to each other.”

“Or not talk to each other,” Pascha said, dryly. “Maybe that’d work.”

“Shut _up_ ,” Remy said, and Sirius could tell even from the dim light of the terrarium that her cheeks had gone pink.

“Oh,” he said, pausing. “Huh. I wasn’t… I mean. You’re only a year older than Leona, and honestly, she’d rather kiss fire frogs or something.”

“Charming, Sirius,” Tierney said, rolling her eyes.

“That was a perfectly good opening and you ruined it,” Pascha agreed.

“A year is kind of a long time sometimes,” Remy said. “I mean, yeah, I wasn’t thinking about… kissing or boyfriends or caring about going to the ball as a date or a friend a year ago, but it’s different now.”

“Yeah,” Sirius agreed. “It is.”

“So, um,” Remy said, swinging her feet. “What do you want? I get it if you just want to go to the ball.”

“Oh,” Sirius said, startled. “No. I mean – I do want to go to the ball. But you really want… I mean, really? Me? You’re really pretty. You could ask anyone you wanted to be your boyfriend.”

“I mean, thanks,” Remy said, laughing softly. “But I’m asking you.”

“I think, yeah,” Sirius said. “I mean, yeah, it’d be brilliant, as long as you’re sure and it’s okay and you wouldn’t feel weird about it.”

Remy paused for a long moment, then laughed for real. “Sirius, you’re _crazy_ ,” she said. “I _like_ you. Boyfriend like you. Of course I’m sure, and it’s better than okay, and why on earth would I feel weird about it?”

“Dunno, it’s… me?” Sirius hazarded. “And you know me really well, and I do stupid stuff sometimes?”

“Well, so do I, so that’s okay, and you’re a boy, so you get… an extra stupid stuff allowance, kind of,” Remy said, finally leaning against his shoulder.

“Just in case,” Sirius said, firmly. “Do you want to think about it? Like in case you want a boyfriend who doesn’t need an extra stupid stuff allowance?”

“ _Sirius_ ,” Remy said, exasperated. “No. Do you want to be my boyfriend, yes or no?”

“Er, yes,” he said. “If you want.”

“What do _you_ want?” Remy said. “It’s no good if you’re saying yes just because –“

“Sirius, just kiss her,” Pascha said, with a sigh. “This is agonizing.”

“Um,” Sirius said, pausing. “You want me to kiss you?”

“I think that’s kind of implied in asking you out, yeah,” Remy said. “But, I mean, if you don’t want to or something…”

“Okay, this is stupid,” Tierney said, hopping onto Sirius bed and shoving in behind him, pushing him closer. “And _I_ want to bite both of you, so Pascha’s probably on the verge of actually doing it.”

“I really am,” Pascha agreed, coming up to settle in Remy’s lap. He put his paws on her shoulders. “You’re brave about everything else, so you have to be brave about Sirius, but I think it’s all right because Tierney feels even more nervous than you, so I bet Sirius is scared too.”

“Oh,” Remy said, finally. “Sirius, are you scared?”

“I _said_ I was nervous,” he said, then swallowed. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to snap.”

“Oh,” Remy said, again, then reached in the dark, finding his hand. “I think we should be boyfriend and girlfriend even after the ball. I’d like that. And – um, you could kiss me if you wanted.”

“You know, I haven’t done any of that actually,” Sirius said, finally. “I know everyone thinks I’m always with a million girls, but that’s not really my… thing.”

“Me either,” Remy said. “So it doesn’t matter, does it? I could kiss you, too. At the same time. So it’d be even. Right?”

“Right,” Sirius said. “Do you – right now?”

“I dunno, not if you’re being weird,” Remy said, laughing. “Just decide if you want to be my boyfriend or not.”

“Yeah, I want to,” Sirius said, firmly. “So is that part settled?”

“Yes,” Remy said, firmly, holding his hand a little tighter.

“Okay,” Sirius said, letting out a breath. “I’ve had the world’s longest day and I missed you and I’m all – it’s like too much adrenaline when you get the stupid snitch or something.”

“I know,” Remy said, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair. “We could lie down, right? That’s not against any rules?”

“Nah,” Sirius said. “I mean, I’ll open the door more just in case anyone cares, but it’s not like we’re…” He felt his cheeks heat. “Um. You know. Anything.”

“You’re the worst teenagers ever,” Pascha informed him, ignoring Sirius’ look as he gestured to fully open the door.

“Pretty sure my mum agrees with you,” Sirius said, dryly.

“Oh, shut it, she adores you,” Remy said, settling between Sirius and the wall and tugging him down by his wrist. “Come on. Would you relax?”

“Sorry,” Sirius said, with a sigh. “I’m… it’s new.”

“It’s not,” Remy said. “You’re the cuddliest boy I know. You cuddle your entire family. And, you know, me if I’m around being a tagalong Malfoy-Potter.”

“That was friend cuddling,” Sirius protested. “Now you want girlfriend cuddling. It’s different. There’s pressure to cuddle well and not elbow you or accidentally touch Pascha or something.”

“Pretty sure the world’s not going to end if you touch me,” Pascha said. “You touch _everyone’s_ daemons.”

“Dunno,” Sirius said, shrugging. “That’s for family and – um, us, later, maybe.”

Remy laughed softly, settling her head on his shoulder. “I don’t care if you elbow me and you’ve accidentally touched Pascha loads of times, it’s kind of hard not to if we’re all piled on the sofa and no one’s paying attention because your family’s kind of weird about it.”

“Eh, it’s just how my parents are,” Sirius said, with a shrug. “I guess maybe usually your parents stop when you get older, but I don’t think I’d like that much. It just feels like… mum or da or dad loves me or something if they pet Tierney. It’s like a hug, only you can’t lie or fake it like that, so you know for sure that they still care even if you screwed up.”

“Yeah, Sorcha and Kerr didn’t stop, so I don’t think I have to either,” Tierney said.

“Sirius, I’m used to it,” Remy reminded him, laughing.

“I know,” Sirius said, tentatively wrapping an arm around her. “I know all that. It just takes me some time to get used to new things, you know?”

“Yeah, I know,” Remy said, fondly. “Don’t worry. I don’t mind about anything else so long as you want to be my boyfriend.”

“Yeah, I do,” Sirius said, murmuring a warming charm and getting a little closer. “Of course I do. You’re brilliant.”

Remy smiled. “Well, I think you’re brilliant too, so that’s probably good.”

“Thank god we’ve clarified,” Pascha said, and Remy rolled her eyes and poked him.

“Can you just shut up and let me enjoy things for five whole minutes?”

“No,” Pascha said, but he settled in with Tierney.

“Sorry, he’s cranky,” Remy murmured. “He missed Tierney.”

“Well now she’s right there, so you can be less cranky,” Sirius pointed out. “And I dunno, but I figure Remy’ll stop avoiding me since we’re boyfriend and girlfriend, that seems like it wouldn’t make a lot of sense.”

“That is a reasonable point,” Pascha said. “Okay. Remy, are you going to stop avoiding Sirius?”

“Now that I can stop worrying about if he likes me or not, yes,” Remy said, with a sigh.

“You were worried?” Sirius said, tugging her in more and resting his chin on top of her head.

“I didn’t really think you’d want to go out with me,” Remy admitted. “So then I was just being dumb and cliché fancying you.”

Sirius laughed. “Well, I didn’t think you’d want to go out with me either, and then I was just being dumb and cliché fancying _you_ , so there.”

“It might take a while to sink in,” Remy admitted.

“Probably,” Sirius agreed. “But I’m not going anywhere.” He laughed again. “I mean, we live in the same tower. What am I going to do, try to hide from you?”

“Shut it,” Remy muttered. “It seemed like a better plan at the beginning of term, okay?”

“Yeah, well, no more hiding,” Sirius said.

“No, no more hiding,” Remy agreed. “Plus Pascha was getting sort of twitchy about the whole thing.”

“I was not,” Pascha said, rolling over to let Tierney nuzzle his stomach. “But I did miss them.”

“I can _feel_ that you feel better,” Remy said, making a face. “Don’t be dumb.”

“Well I can feel that you feel better too,” Pascha said, sticking his tongue out at her.

Sirius laughed. “Okay, okay,” he said. “Everyone feels better if we’re dating. But I think we’ve solved that one.”

“Seems like,” Remy agreed. “Do we need to go back down? I don’t want Alcyone to worry.”

“Nah,” Sirius said. “Alcyone knows…” He shrugged. “We’re pretty alike sometimes. It takes us both a while to change direction, you know? Like to calm down if you’ve been all wound up. And we both need to be alone to figure things out and relax. But, I mean, alone with you okay.”

“It’s almost like you’re siblings,” Remy teased.

“Ugh, don’t get on that,” Sirius said, making a face. “You know how much we hate it.”

“Sirius, you _are_ ,” Remy said, dryly. “And so are Gemma and Leona, prat. You know I know your sisters are all your sisters.”

“Sorry,” Sirius said, stretching out more. “Everyone gets stupid and thinks dad’s more of our dad or something and da doesn’t care, but I do.”

“Well, yeah,” Remy said, stroking his hair off his face again. “I know how you feel about Harry.”

Sirius laughed softly. “Mum says we’re a family of bloody strong personalities and thank god everyone likes at least one other person or we’d all have killed one another by now.”

“I don’t think you like _just_ Harry,” Remy said, laughing too. 

“No,” Sirius said, firmly. “I love all of them. But da gets me a little better than mum or dad do, I think. But it’s not as if I feel badly, Gemma’s stuck on mum and Leona thinks dad’s the best thing ever. It’s not like it’s playing favorites or something, it’s just… who you can talk to the easiest. I – he helped me sort out stuff to talk to you.”

“Well, that’s a good thing,” Remy said. “I’m glad. Do you feel any better?”

“Sort of,” Sirius said. “I mean, of course I’m happy, and being here with you is nice, but I’ll feel better in the morning.”

“Yeah,” Remy agreed. “It’s been a lot of everything.”

“If we stay like this all night, it’ll help,” Pascha said. “I mean, me and Tierney.”

“We should probably figure out where we’re sleeping,” Sirius said, with a yawn. “I’d like to stay here, but I think Leona’ll feel pretty badly if she wakes up by herself. Some sleepover.”

“Yeah,” Remy agreed. “But this part is – kind of nice if you think Aly won’t mind.”

“Nah, probably not,” Sirius said, with a smile. “Like I said. She knows I’m not up to anything weird. Plus it’s probably less trouble than we _usually_ cause.”

Remy snorted. “Shut it, we’re not that bad,” she said, climbing over him to get off the bed. “Pascha, you want to ride Tierney?”

“Yes, please,” he said, climbing onto her shoulders. “Plus there’s a fire downstairs.”

“That too,” Sirius agreed.

“Better?” Alcyone said, when he got back downstairs, looking up from her armchair with a smile. 

“Better,” Sirius said, then went over to hug her. She squeaked, laughing, but reached up to pull him down, holding him tight.

“I love you,” she said.

“Love you too,” Sirius said, burying his face in her hair for a minute. “I’m lucky I have good sisters.”

“Yes, well, one of them is sleeping, so hush,” she said, but she looked happy. “Although you’re cold. Want me to fix the sofa for you and Remy?”

“That’d be nice,” Remy said, following the daemons down the stairs.

“Is it okay if me and Remy share closer than usual?” Sirius said. “I promise, I’m not… being a teenage boy or something.”

Aly laughed. “Well, you are, you’re just being Sirius Malfoy-Potter,” she said. “I don’t exactly think you’ve got designs on Remy’s virtue in the middle of the living room with me and Leona right next to you and mum and dad and da one room over.”

“Er, I don’t even have those anyway,” Sirius said. “I mean, designs on anything.”

Remy laughed. “Aly, don’t break him, he’s still too… not settled in to even kiss me.”

“I can tell I’ve really got loads to worry about as the chaperone here,” Alcyone said, dryly. She pointed her wand at the far end of the sofa, making it big enough for both of them and Tierney, and transfigured a few of the couch pillows into real ones and one of the blankets into a duvet.

“Should stay warm close to the fire, go on,” she said. “I’ll read a little longer, but I’ll put up a privacy charm so you can talk.”

“You’re the best,” Sirius said, kissing her cheek.

“Thanks,” Remy said, with a smile.

Aly’s privacy charms were always vaguely purple when you walked through them, but Sirius was used to it – he pulled down the duvet, making room for Remy, and made sure Tierney had enough room closest to the fire; she liked to stay warm.

“Aly’s being nice,” Remy observed, sitting to take off her slippers and waiting for Sirius to get settled before she climbed in, curling up against him and pulling all the blankets up.

“Aly’s actually usually nice,” Sirius admitted, laughing. “She just gets… more polite and less friendly when she’s stressed. Like me and dad, really.”

“Yeah, that one’s a little obvious on you,” Remy said, wrapping an arm over him to pull him closer, until she could nudge her nose against his with a grin. “Hi, boyfriend.”

“Hi, Remy,” Sirius said, dryly, then laughed. “Okay, hi, girlfriend.”

“You’re worse than Tierney about the fire,” she said, laughing. “You’re way less tense down here.”

“I like blankets,” Sirius said, wrapping the duvet a bit closer. “And, well, Alcyone and Leona being around. And the fireplace. And you.”

“You want to do stuff tomorrow?” Remy offered.

“Like usual stuff?” Sirius said.

“Yeah,” Remy said, laughing. “Like me not finding the snitch for an hour and you having to hunt it down for me. Or helping your da with exhibit plans and things. We’ll bring Leona too.”

“Yeah, okay,” Sirius agreed, watching her. “Thanks for – understanding. About me needing some time.”

“You know, the good thing about me being a tagalong Malfoy-Potter is that I know _all_ of you,” Remy said, laughing. “Of course you need time. I think maybe everyone but Leona would need time. It’s just how you lot work. And my mum said you’re from a pureblood house _and_ you’re a Malfoy-Potter _and_ your da’s your da, so I shouldn’t rush you.”

“Um, yeah, I know?” Sirius said, dubiously. “I dunno what that’s all got to do with anything, though.”

“She said it means you take commitment seriously and –“ Remy curled a little closer. “I dunno, I didn’t understand some of the other part, she just said you’re like your da and sometimes he took a long time to warm up to people.”

“Well, that’s dumb, I already like you,” Sirius said. “Plus we’re… cuddling. That’s plenty warmed up.”

“You’re explaining wrong,” Pascha said, with a huff.

“Well, then you do it,” Remy said.

“It’s okay with us if you take your time switching from friends to dating as long as you’re ours,” Pascha said. “Victorie said you might be like that and that we shouldn’t mind, but we already didn’t.”

“Thanks,” Sirius murmured, relaxing a little more, burying his face against Remy’s shoulder. He stroked a hand down her back, exploring carefully. “I do like you. Loads, honestly. I’ve just never… liked a girl so much before, so it feels a little strange. I mean – actually wanting to kiss you and things, I haven’t wanted to before.”

Remy blushed, laughing. “Really?” she said. “But you’re so… popular. All the girls in your year think you’re great. And fifth year. And probably my year, really. And you go to Hogsmeade with girls all the time.”

“Great, good to know half the castle likes me,” Sirius joked, then closed his eyes. “And, I mean, yeah, I always go because I don’t want anyone to feel badly, but they know it’s just friends or like…” He shrugged. “I’ve asked a few girls if no one’s asked them before or they’re having a rough time or something. I mean – it’s not like I feel sorry for them or anything like that, but then they’ve gone on a date too and – I dunno, I try to tell them the stuff my parents say sometimes. Like that everyone’s different and it’s no big deal if you’ve never snogged anyone, I mean, it’s not like I have. Or that it’s okay if they’ve done more and nobody should give them a hard time about it. Or it’s no big deal if they want to go to Hogsmeade with another girl or something. Although I sort of think my da and dad put paid to any dumb ideas about that sort of thing just by… being around.”

Remy laughed softly. “You’re too nice by half, Sirius,” she said, fondly. “You’d better not be going out with me over any of that, though.”

“’Course not,” Sirius said, firmly. “I’m going out with you because I want you to be my girlfriend. And it’s not like I asked you to Hogsmeade. I mean – I will if you want.”

“Sirius, I think that’s implied in the whole dating bit,” Tierney said.

“We _already_ go together half the time anyway with Leona,” Sirius said. “And da said we had to be careful of her feelings.”

“I know,” Remy said, firmly. “She’s still my best friend. We’re not leaving her out of things just to go snog all the time or something.”

“She’s my _sister_ ,” Sirius said. “’Course not. It’d be mean. And we like her.”

“I mean, maybe alone time sometimes,” Remy said, a little hesitantly.

“Well, yeah,” Sirius said. “Like now or – when we want to. I don’t think she’ll mind. Plus Leona’s Leona. She’s always doing _something_ with _someone_ , it’s not as if us having some time to ourselves is going to ruin her life as long as we don’t forget about her or something.” He made a face. “I dunno why everyone thinks we’re going to be physically unable to stop snogging or something.”

Remy laughed. “I dunno, some of my friends say it’s fun,” she said.

“Well, yeah,” Sirius said, dryly. “Trust me, I’ve gotten that lecture eight hundred times from my stupid _parents_. Maybe my mysterious teenage boy hormones will kick in.”

“Great, you’ll probably grow more,” Remy teased. “ _And_ we’ll have to snog all the time.”

“Ugh,” Sirius agreed, laughing. “I mean, I hate having to go clothes shopping.” 

Remy laughed again, cuddling closer. “You’re such a boy,” she said, fondly.

“Yeah,” Sirius murmured, nudging his nose against hers again. “Maybe soon though. When we’re in actual private, not, uh, Alcyone-induced private.”

“Good by me,” Remy agreed, leaning to kiss his cheek. “Sleep tight?”

“Sleep tight,” Sirius agreed, with a smile.


End file.
